The following set of materials are the core documents for a research simulation exercise I do during the last third of the semester. By this point students have written three essays, narrative, compare/contrast, and expository/argumentative each with a draft. As such, they have learned many of the foundational elements of writing a research paper. These skills are brought to bear on a long term research project in which students have to write a research report on the best way to combat human trafficking in their pre-assigned country or region.

After watching the documentary Not My Life about human trafficking, students provide a list of top choices for selecting a country to work on. Depending on their performance in the previous part of the semester they are sorted into even groups. Thus, if a student would like to work on the US and has done really well, he or she gets that choice. If, however, the US group is already full and a student has not participated well he or she will get their second or third choice.

From the day I distribute the assignments and the supplementary materials, the classroom functions like a real world office with several assignments concurrently. Students will be required to plan their days accordingly. At the beginning of each class, each team is required to have a member give a status report; it must be provided by a different person each class. This is to make sure everyone presents. The larger assignments are provided through “memo” format and students must use their critical knowledge to figure out what the format of the assignment is. There is little to no explicit explanation, though I do provide feedback if students ask for it. This is to encourage them figuring out assignments for themselves. Along the way, I provide mini-instruction and models on specific elements required for the report. Hence, if citation is required I will explain the citation system we are using and why we are using it. They then have to complete an assignment based on this. The primary skills I teach them during this section are evidence based, and include database searching, information hierarchies, and integrating external information through citation and paraphrasing.

Throughout the project there is also a team reward system. Basically, teams are judged on the performance of their entire team. If a student shows up late, texts, sleeps, or, in general, acts unprofessional I will deduct points, on the other hand if a team shows initiative, thinks outside the box, collaborates, or does anything else meritorious they will be rewarded with extra points. The team that wins at the end of the semester will be rewarded with significant bonus points.